Lithuanian Radio and Television

VASILJEVA Leonarda, Vilnius

At about 2 a.m., we heard an announcement over the radio and television that the TV tower was being attacked, that tanks were coming, and that they were shooting at the people from tanks and machine guns, although they were using blanks.

Everyone was tense, but nobody moved, nobody ran. Everyone anxiously waited, and crowded closer together by the entrance to the television and radio building. Not even a half an hour had passed when we heard the roaring of tanks on Konarskio Street. First they began to fire by the old building, and after a few minutes, an armored vehicle drove over to us, turned straight at the people and shot into the crowd. The people chanted: “Lithuania! Freedom!" Paratroopers threw explosives into the crowd and shot their tommy guns right at the people.

Suddenly we noticed that paratroopers were already running inside the building behind us. Some men rushed inside, but they were driven out by the kicking and beating of the paratroopers.

One person was pushed out by a wounded, bloody hand. Then from the left, a second armored vehicle raced towards the people who were right by the stairs. Some paratroopers with guns got out of it and, shouting, kicking, and beating people with sticks, they began to push the people from the RTV building along the wall. We were crushed - it was chaos. I tripped, but someone immediately helped me get up. I got slugged in the shoulder with a tommy gun. The people were pushed to the other side of the street, right by an apartment building. Two armored vehicles stayed by the entrance of the building, while a few others were in the street. By then paratroopers had lined up along the whole length of the street, their guns pointed at the people. Now and then they let out a volley of shots. The tank searchlights began to “scrutinize" the windows and balconies of the nearby houses, from top to bottom. A tank shot at a house - all of the windows shattered and you could hear children screaming and people shouting.

The people still didn't withdraw. Everyone was stunned, and infuriated by the barbarity of the Soviet Army. You could hear screams: „Beasts, fascists, barbarians!"

The workers were thrown out of the RTV building. Ambulances kept driving to and from the building, carrying the victims.

A few times, the paratroopers threw tear gas to make the people disperse, but the people didn't leave until 6:00 the next morning.